He was looking out his window one weekday morning late last year when he saw a man in his mid-20s in a neighbor’s fenced-in yard on Wayne Avenue. The man had a miniature spade and was digging into the side of a window.

Curious, Whiteside walked over.

“I know the homeowner, and I knew it wasn’t him,” Whiteside said. “So I put on my slippers and walked over and asked him who he was looking for. He dropped the spade and told me he was looking for his friend, Eric. He said he was out at a bar with Eric and had a confrontation about work he started for him and to come here to finish it. But when I saw him digging into the window, I knew what he was doing. Plus, he had no construction truck.”

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Whiteside realized he had left his cell phone at his house and decided to play it cool.

“I let him finish his story, and I just wanted to get back to my house and call 911,” Whiteside said. “My mind was really going.”

Whiteside called police the instant he got back in his house. Within minutes, police arrived, but not before the suspect had fled. Whiteside apparently did scare him off.

“The police cars were up and down this street like you wouldn’t believe,” Whiteside said. “The response time was excellent. Even the police chief came.”

With buzzing around the house, Whiteside went over and was asked to meet with a sketch artist so police could get a description of the suspect. Within a few days, the sketch was finished.

“I was amazed,” Whiteside said. “That sketch artist had this guy down to a T. It looked just like the guy. He asked me how sure I was this was the guy and I said 150 percent.”

Turns out, the suspect was arrested shortly after the sketch was released. And he lives just one block over from the house he allegedly had attempted to burglarize. Whiteside was asked to go to the police station and identify the suspect through one-way glass.

“I told the police I don’t need to look through glass,” Whiteside said. “I told them to let him out. I’ll tell him right to his face it’s him.

After Whiteside identified the suspect, he quickly confessed, according to police.

For his actions, Whiteside last week was given a citation for “extraordinary commitment to community safety,” one of the highest awards for citizen involvement in police affairs.

Police Chief Ed Zunino said it’s extremely important for citizens to become involved by being the “eyes and ears” of the community.

“We would never expect, suggest or encourage a citizen to take action against a criminal other than to report to 911,” Zunino said. “However, we understand that some people are driven to service and action when they witness suspicious activity. As such, this award was developed by the Police Department to honor these brave individuals.”

Whiteside said he did what any concerned neighbor would do.

“I wish more people would come forward when they see things,” he said. “You are helping these officers out. The officers are only as good as the citizens. The more information they get from citizens, the better they can do their jobs.”